RENTON — Jarran Reed had a premonition he was going to be picked by the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL draft.
So it was appropriate that when he received the call from the Seahawks as he sat waiting in the green room at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, he was munching on some Skittles.
All the omens aligned to make the Alabama defensive tackle Seattle’s first selection Thursday on day 2 of the draft, something that made both Reed and the Seahawks extremely happy.
“This whole time I had a certain feeling,” said Reed, who proudly displayed his packet of Skittles — the favorite treat of former Seahawks star running back Marshawn Lynch — while he FaceTimed with the Seattle media following his selection. “I thought I was going to happen (Thursday) with the last pick (when the Seahawks instead took Texas A&M tackle Germain Ifedi). But I knew today. Right before it happened I told my mom, ‘Mom, I’m going to go to the Seahawks.’ I’ve been talking about the Seahawks, and I’m just really happy and excited that it actually happened, and all my dreams came true to play for that defense.”
Reed was one of four players selected by the Seahawks on Day 2, which encompassed the second and third rounds. The others were Notre Dame running back C.J. Prosise, Ohio State tight end Nick Vannett and Boise State guard Rees Odhiambo, all taken in the third round.
When the Seahawks selected Ifedi with the last pick of the first round, Seahawks general manager John Schneider said he was debating whether to take Ifedi or Reed. Schneider went with the offensive lineman, which seemingly took Reed out of play. But when Reed, who was projected as a first rounder and was one of 25 players invited to attend the draft, found himself falling into the second round, the Seahawks jumped. Seattle made a deal with the Chicago Bears, moving up seven spots in the second round from No. 56 to No. 49 and surrendering a fourth rounder (124th overall) in the process, to nab Reed.
Reed, who measures in at 6-foot-3 and 307 pounds, is labeled a stout run stopper. Last season as a senior at Alabama he tallied 56 tackles and one sack as he was named second-team All-SEC. However, he fell in the draft along with many of Alabama’s players. It’s possible Reed’s arrest for a DUI in July of 2014 may have played a role in his drop.
“He’s the best run stuffer I’ve seen in a long time,” said Seahawks southeast area scout Jim Nagy, who was shocked that Reed was still available in the middle of the second round.
“He’s so good he’s unique, because he plays with great technique, great discipline,” added Nagy, who also said the organization is comfortable that Reed’s DUI was a one-time thing. “The cool thing about him was he was the same guy every game. You can’t move him off the ball, he’s always in his footprints, taking on double teams, splitting double teams, hand use, getting rid of blocks, making tackles. These guys are really hard to find.”
The selection of Reed fills one of Seattle’s most glaring needs. The Seahawks lost a key component to their run defense when defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, the team’s longest-tenured player and a nine-year starter, departed via free agency to join the San Diego Chargers. Nagy labeled Reed as ready to step in and contribute immediately.
It also continued Seattle’s unusual campaign of playing it by the book. The Seahawks have earned a reputation for being unconventional in the draft, often steering well wide of what the pundits predict. However, Seattle entered the draft with two glaring needs, requiring help on both the offensive and defensive lines. By selecting Ifedi in the first round and Reed in the second, the Seahawks addressed both those needs with their first two picks.
The Seahawks then had a while to wait until their picks came fast and furious at the end of the day, as Seattle had three selections in a span of eight picks late in the third round.
Seattle used the first of those picks on Prosise at No. 90. Prosise, who measures in at 6-foot- and 220 pounds, rushed for 1,029 yards on 157 carries and scored 11 touchdowns last season as a redshirt junior. It was his first as a running back as he spent his previous time at Notre Dame as a safety and a receiver.
“I was definitely willing to make (the position change),” Prosise said. “I was seeing it as a way to get the ball into my hands more. I know what I could do when I had the ball in my hands, so getting the opportunity to get the ball in my hands more, I was definitely all for that.”
Prosise joins a backfield that will be without the retired Lynch for the first time since 2010. Thomas Rawls is the presumptive No. 1, though he’s coming off an ankle injury that ended his 2015 season. The Seahawks also re-signed restricted free agent Christine Michael. However, Seattle is currently without a third-down back, having not re-signed Fred Jackson. Prosise’s experience as a receiver could make him a viable option in that role.
“I think this is a very unique player,” Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said. “I love talking about him. He was a DB for the early part of his career, moved to receiver, and when they had a need they moved him to running back. He was a guy who was playing all the time, can run all the routes, he can do everything a wide received does, and they moved him to running back and I think surprised everybody. He had a fantastic season, he has breakaway speed, is a big-time flashy running back, as well as a catcher. We’ve had our eye on him throughout. We were hoping we could get him because we have a very special role we can put him in.”
Vannett followed quickly at No. 94. The 6-foot-6, 257-pounder caught 19 passes for 162 yards and no touchdowns last season as a senior at Ohio State.
“I think especially in this draft I’m one of the best three-down tight ends who can do both (catch and block),” Vannett said. “I’ve always felt that I was a great receiver … and I really had to step up my blocking game. That’s an area where I made tremendous strides in.”
Vannett joins a deep tight end group. However, there’s still concerns whether No. 1 Jimmy Graham, who suffered a season-ending knee injury, will be back to 100 percent by the start of the season.
“To us he was the only true Y, meaning big blocking type of tight end, in this draft,” Schneider said. “He’s a big guy who the last two years has really come on. We believe he has a great upside.”
Odhiambo was the last of Seattle’s third rounders at No. 97. The native of Kenya, who moved to the U.S. in 2000 when Odhiambo was 7 years old, is listed at 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds. He played tackle at Boise State, but is expected to be used as a guard by the Seahawks. He was not expected to go until later in the draft, but may have more upside since he didn’t start playing football until he was a sophomore in high school.
“I’m very technique-sound, and I love run blocking,” Odhiambo said. “It’s a great feeling to get after people and just move them.”
Odhiambo has overcome a series of tragedies. His parents have both passed away — his father passed while the family was still in Nigeria, his mother passed away when he was 17 — and he’s coming off a broken ankle that ended his senior season.
“Strength and flexibility,” Schneider said were Odhiambo’s strengths. “Tom (Cable, Seattle’s offensive line coach) felt at the end of the day that Germain and Rees were the two strongest guys that he put his hands on throughout the spring.”
Rounds 4-7 take place Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. The Seahawks have four picks, one in each of the fifth (171st overall) and sixth (215) rounds and two in the seventh (225, 247).
Check out Nick Patterson’s Seattle Sidelines blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/seattlesidelines, and follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
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